Line-marking device for road surface

ABSTRACT

The specification describes a device designed for travelling along a given path on a road surface for laying down on and adhesively securing to said surface a traffic-regulating line or similar mark means. The device comprises a service unit in form of a motor-van equipped with supply means and an operative unit trailed and supplied by the service unit and provided with means for forming on the road surface a primer layer wider than the line to be marked and having thermal energy, and with means for laying down and pressing a marking tape material on said primer layer, the thermal energy of which promotes a quick modification of state at the interface between said layer and tape to cause prompt adhesion of said tape to said layer and of said layer to said road surface.

United States Patent Eigenmann LINE-MARKING DEVICE FOR ROAD SURFACE [76]Inventor: Ludwig Eigenmann, Canton Ticino,

Vacallo, Switzerland [22] Filed: July 26, 1972 [2]] Appl. No.: 275,427

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data July 30, 1971 Italy 26983/71 Oct.23, 197i ltaly 30250/71 [52] US. Cl. 404/94 [51] Int. Cl. E0lc 19/12[58] Field of Search 404/94, 95, 93, 82, 79, 404/14 [56] ReferencesCited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,898,825 8/l959 Walker et a]. 404/943,018,704 l/l962 Searight 3,540,358 ll/l970 Oakley 3,682,054 8/l972MacPhail 404/94 FORElGN PATENTS OR APPLlCATlONS 701,524 l/l965 Canada404/94 759,704 5/l967 Canada 404/94 Primary Examiner-Marion Parsons, Jr.Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Michael S. Striker [57] ABSTRACT Thespecification describes a device designed for travelling along a givenpath on a road surface for laying down on and adhesively securing tosaid surface a traftic-regulating line or similar mark means. The devicecomprises a service unit in form of a motor-van equipped with supplymeans and an operative unit trailed and supplied by the service unit andprovided with means for forming on the road surface a primer layer widerthan the line to be marked and having thermal energy, and with means forlaying down and pressing a marking tape material on said primer layer,the thermal energy of which promotes a quick modification of state atthe interface between said layer and tape to cause prompt adhesion ofsaid tape to said layer and of said layer to said road surface.

9 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENIEDucT 29 m4 3.844.669 SHEET 20? 2LINE-MARKING DEVICE FOR ROAD SURFACE BACKGROUND 1. The Field of theInvention This invention concerns improvements relating to devices andapparatus, and to the methods for taking advantages therefrom, forproducing continuous or interrupted traffic lane-dividing or othertraffic-regulating marking on road and like surfaces. More particularly,this invention is concerned with methods and apparatuses designed forlaying down on and adhesively securing to road surfaces strips of tapematerial. Still more particularly, this invention is concerned withimprovements relating to the manner and means for quickly andeffectively producing on an uneven and porous road surface a layer mostadapted for forming an impervious and smooth surface for having the tapemate rial laid thereon and most promptly adhesively and permanentlysecured thereto.

More specifically, this invention is also concerned with a new andimproved apparatus adapted for displacement on the road surface along apath corresponding to the traffic-regulating line to be formed, theapparatus being adapted either for regular travel on roadway as a quiteconventional road motor vehicle does, when not engaged in the markingoperation, and for exceptionally fast and uninterrupted trafficdirectingline formation, by uninterruptedly operating for also exceptionallyextended lengths of marking.

2. The Prior Art The road marking material in strip form, of essentiallyelasto-plastic composition and provided by manufacturers in spools orbobbins, is well known. The advantages of such materials, in comparisonwith road marking by painting signs on the road surfaces or by pouringhot-melt or otherwise fluidified marking compounds on the road surface,where the compounds set to form the marking, are well known to thoseskilled in the art, and further comments therabout are unnecessary.

Several road-marking apparatus and vehicles have been heretoforeproposed and widely used for mechanically laying down and adhesivelysecuring strip materials of the kind referred to above, generally ofelastoplastic nature, on and along given paths on road surfaces. somesuch apparatus and vehicles have been described and shown in the U.S.Pat. No. 3,007,838 and 3,155,564, granted in the United States ofAmerica to the inventor of this invention.

In view of providing for road surface porosity and unevenness, apparatusand methods for preliminary forming on said surface a smooth andimpervious layer of bitumen-based composition have been also proposedand experienced. In the U.S. Pat. No. 3,262,375, ofthe same inventor, anexample of such improved technology has been described and shown also.

Generally speaking, the prior art apparatus and methods are subject toseveral objections and limitations. The apparatus are pretty costly,bulky and complicated, and smaller and simpler ones has not proved toprovide a desirable efficiency and fast operation either as the speed atwhich the tape laying vehicle is capable of travelling along the givenpath on the road to be marked and as the promptness and the sureness ofadherence of the tape material on the road surface are concerned.

Further, it has been found as greatly desirable that the apparatusshould meet the further following conditions:

lst To be adapted to quite rapidly and conventionally travel on theroadway as an usual road motorvehicle can. As a matter of fact, roadmarking is an operation which can be made here and there, even far fromthe place where the apparatus are usually recovered and worked formaintenance and preparation for operation, and in locations atsubstantial distance from each other;

2nd To be capable of uninterruptedly laying down relevant lengths ofmarking tape, well over the length of tape wound on one bobbin or spool,and to require simple and minimum time-consuming operations forrefuelling and reloading the materials necessary for service, that isthe apparatus should be such to provide a high time/operation ratio,together with a minimum of traffic disturbance, that is of time duringwhich the apparatus actually operates on the road;

3rd To provide an extremely prompt setting of the marked line on theroad surface, that is, most desirably, to operate so that the markedroad surface can be reopened to traffic, newly marked areas inclusive,as soon as the apparatus has been passed over and has the marked linelaid on and secured to said areas; and 4th To require, for itsoperation, few personnel, in particular a crew of two or possibly ofthree average skilled men, and to avoid or minimize laborious, fatiguingand dangerous manual operations, while refuelling and supplying theapparatus, made with the help of an additional crew, can be quickly madeon the road.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a new andimproved apparatus which is not subject to the objections of prior artmeans and which meets the above and other desirable conditions. It isfurther an object of the invention to provide a new and improved methodfor taking advantage of such apparatus and for effectively and quicklyproviding the preparation of the road surface to receive the tapematerial and promoting the prompt and most sure adhesion of the materialto the thus prepared surface.

Another object of this invention is to provide a new and improvedapparatus and method by which the laid down tape marking material is soarranged and secured to a tape receiving layer that the interfacebetween said tape material and said layer, wherein an adhesiveconnection is provided, is fully protected against water, moisture,oils, gasoline and other destructive agents penetration, together withcomplete protection of the material side edges, that is of the partswhich are most subject to wear and damage by the traffic.

According to the invention, the improved linemarking apparatus consistsof the combination of a service unit and of at least one operative unit.The service unit comprises a suitably equipped and implementedself-propelled and load-carrying road vehicle, such as a motor-van, andthe operative unit is provided with means adapted to form on the roadsurface a primer layer adapted to have the tape material laid on andadhedively secured to its upper face, and to lay and press said tapematerial on said face, while the said service and operative unitsr unconcurrently along a given path of the road surface, and the operativeunit is con,- tinuously supplied by the service unit with the tape andthe primer layer formingmaterials, as these same. materials aretransferred to the road surface to form the said primer layer and thestrip marking thereon. Further, the operative unit comprises heatingmeans supplied with fuel by the service unit and arranged to overheat aprimer layer forming a fluidified composition supplied by the serviceunit and pump and nozzle means for ejecting said overheated compositionon selected areas of the road surface to form on said surface a primerlayer wider than the marking tape, the excess heat of the thus formedprimer layer being made use of for promoting an abrupt modification ofthe physical and/or chemical state of the material adjacent to theinterface between the said primer layer and tape as said tape is beinglaid and pressed on said primer layer.

Preferably, the said service unit and operative unit are connectedtogether by universal joints positioned to provide that the operativeunit is trailed by the motorvan forming the service unit, for operatingalong the desiredpath, and the said motor-van has collimating meansarranged at its fore end to facilitate steering of the van along suchpath, as defined by the traces or residual portion of a worn offtraffic-directing line to be renewed, for example, or by signs or marksprovided on the newly made or renewed covering of the road surface.

Further, the said service unit forming motor-van is equipped with meansfor rotatably supporting a plurality of spools or bobbins of markingtape, and with means for successively guidedly transferring the tapematerial as successively unwound from each individual spool to theoperative unit for facilitating uninterrupted operation along relevantlengths of road. The service unit carries also suitable supplies of fuel(preferably liquified gas fuel), of pressurized air (preferably an aircompressor) together with the materials and compound necessary to formthe primer layer and to adhesively connect the marking tape thereon.

A composite apparatus as above is therefore designed for operatingaccording to a new and improved method for effectively providingtraffic-regulating lines on road surfaces. This method includes thesteps of preliminarily forming a primer layer wider than the tape on theroad surface, of providing excess heat in the thus formed layer, ofapplying and pressing the marking tape on this layer when still hot topromote a state transformation at the thus formed interface andconsequently promoting essentially immediate adhesion of the tape onsaid layer, the pressing of said tape on the wider primer layer whenstill in essentially plastic state causing embedding of the tape in thelayer, the side edge portions of which will sidewardly cover and protectthe side edges of the laid down tape. Preferably, a covering sheet ofpaper or other laminar material is also laid down on the marking tapeand the primer layer to temporarily protect such material and to preventthe pressing means, such as one or more rollers, to contact the stillplastic primer layer edges.

These and other objects, features and advantages of the invention willbecome best apparent from the following detailed description ofpreferred embodiments of same invention, taken together with theaccompanying drawings.

THE FIGURES'OF THE DRAWINGS FIG..] is a diagrammatical side view andpartly a longitudinal sectional view of an apparatus constructed andoperable according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary side view of an ancillary unit adapted tocomplement the apparatus of FIG. 1 to meet some modified procedures ofroad marking;

FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 are fragmentary perspective sectional views of thematerials as laid down on and secured to the road surface at the varioussteps of road marking;

FIG. 6 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of a preferredcombination of means provided in the service and operative units, in amodified embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 7 is a rather diagrammatical longitudinal sectional view of themeans provided in a preferred form in the operative unit and designedfor laying down the primer layer, preparatory to laying down andsecuring of the marking tape.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring first toFIGS. 1 to 5, the apparatus of the invention is designed to form acontinuous or interrupted traffic-regulating line (or an equivalentmarking) on a road surface S. This operation comprises forming first anuniform, impervious and essentially smooth surface 10, of width Ls widerthan the width Lm of the tape material to be laid down, by applying aprimer layer 12 of suitable composition on said surface S. The tapematerial 14 is then laid and pressed on said primer layer 12, andtemporary protective sheet material 16 is applied above said tape 14 andthe parts 12' and 12" of the primer layer 12, extended sidewardly fromthe tape, the sheet material 16 being of width Lp greater than the widthLs of the primer layer to provide side portions 16 and 16" whichdirectly contact the road surface S.

Upon removal of the sheeting 16 (FIG. 5), the tape material 14 will thusprovide a marking strip the surface M of which is flush with the surface10 and 10 of the side portions 12' and 12" of the primer layer. Saidside portions can also go over the lever of said marking surface M, asthe said tape material 14 is downwardly pressed into the primer layer 12when such layer is still in its plastic state. Therefore, the markingtape 14 will be completely protected at its side edges also, that iswhere moisture and oil penetration might occur and where the tape ismost subject to be worn off or otherwise damaged by the traffic.

A The method of operation The above summarized steps of providing theroad surface S with the marking strip area M (FIG. 5) comprises, as itspreferred procedure, the following sequence of operations:

i. The primer layer (FIG. 3) is formed upon a completely dried andpreliminarily heated road surface. This road surface preparationcomprises directing towards the selected areas of said surface a jet offlame, as provided by a suitable burner. This jet ensures theelimination of water, moisture, lubricating oil and generally of anysubstance which could hinder the proper connection of the primer layer12 with the road surface, and provides a warm means on and within whichthe primer layer material can intimately permeate, by deeply filling thepores and surface cavities;

ii. the composition prepared to form the primer layer 12 (a few examplesof such compositions will be given below) is directed onto said heatedroad surface S from above in metered amounts. This composition, suppliedin fluidified and preferably pressurized state by the service unit, ispreliminarily heated in a heat-exchanger in the operative unit, until anexcess of heat is imparted to such composition, and then ejected underpressure onto the surface S for impingement thereon. The thus impingingand essentially fluid composition will intimately connect itself to saidroad surface;

iii. this composition comprises components adapted to react and providean essentially thermo-setting material which promptly sets as suchprimer layer is formed, while the said excess of heat is at leastpartially transferred to the tape material laid down on said primerlayer for promoting activation and setting of the adhesives (either insolid or in highly viscous state) provided at the lower face of the tapematerial, for promptly completing the adhesive connection of the tape tothe primer layer;

iv. concurrently applying the protective sheeting 16 on the tapematerial;

v. pressing said tape material 14 and sheeting 16 on the still warmprimer layer 12 until the thickness of the tape 14 will be commensuratewith the primer layer (see FIG. 4); and

vi. removing, if necessary, the protective sheeting 16.

B The line-marking apparatus As shown in FIG. 1, the apparatus comprisesa service unit consisting of a suitably implemented motorvan generallyindicated at 20, and a twin operative unit consisting of a primer layerforming device 22 and of a tape material laying down and pressing device24. This latter device comprises at least a tape applying roller 26 anda suitably heavy pressure roller 28 to apply and press the tape material14 on the primer layer face provided by the device 22.

The temporary protective sheet material 16 is laid down concurrentlywith the tape 14 and can be supplied, for example, by a spool 30 carriedby same device 24. This sheet material 16 may consist of a thin plasticfilm or preferably of a paper ribbon, which can be left on the roadwhere it will be promptly torn off and eliminated by the traffic.Preferably, the apparatus comprises also means for providing suchelimination, such as a burner 36 carried by a rearwardly extended brace32 of same the device 24. Such sheet material can be however recovered,such as by rewinding it about a spool, for example, if consisting ofpretty costly and re-utilizable material, such as a pretty thickpolyethylene sheeting.

Preferably the composition of the primer layer, the material of themarking tape and the adhesive are so selected to provide the most promptsetting of the marking, so that upon or shortly after the removal of thesheeting 16 the marking will not be damaged by traffic and the thusuncovered portions 10' and 10" of the primer will no more be tacky.

In the occurrence that such setting would require a time longer thanthat taken by the apparatus to travel the interval from the location(under roller 26) of laying down the tape and the sheeting, to thelocation the apparatus is desired, or when the operation is beingcarried on in summertime or in any case in a hot climate which can delayheat dissipation.

Such separate vehicle can consist of a separate motor-van (FIG. 2)pulling an ancillary device which carries the burner 136 (or othersheeting eliminating means) and preferably a further pressing roller 128to complete the pressure and flattening of the marking material beforeleaving it subject to the traffic.

The service unit is provided with means for facilitating thedisplacement along the required path. Such means include for example asight or collimator 40 supported well forward of the vehicle fore end bya brace 42, for example, connected to the steering mechanism of themotor-van, so that the driver of the van can precisely follow a tracingline. This sight can obviously be sidewardly displaced with respect tothe vehicle if the primer layer forming and the tape material layingdevices 22 and 24 are in turn positioned to form the said layer andmarking laterally of the tracks of the same service vehicle 20.

As above discussed, the said service van 20 is designed for actuallyservicing the devices 22 and 24 in operation, in addition to pulling thesame and to provide transportation for the same devices, to and from thevarious locations where the marking operations are to be and have beenmade. Therefore, the van 20 is provided with means for rotatablysupporting a plurality 46 of spools of marking tape 14. Preferably, suchspools are co-axially supported about a mandrel arranged horizontallyand longitudinally in the motor-van body. Above said plurality 46 aguide roller 48, rotatable about a horizontal axis transversal to thevan, is displaceably supported, in the direction indicated by the arrowsin FIG. 1, for selectively positioning it above the spool being actuallyunwound for supplying the device 24 with the tape material 14.Therefore, the apparatus can substantially uninterruptedly operate forproviding very substantial lengths of marking, simply by joining thetrailing end portion of a tape stock unwound from the emptied spool tothe leading end portion of another stock of tape unwound from a spooladjacent to the emptied one.

While the arrangement of spools, as shown in FIG. 1, is preferred inview of the saving of space, it requires somewhat of a torsion (of 90)of the tape from the actually unwinding spool and the guide roller 48.The van 20 might have tape spools differently arranged thereon, forexample rotatably supported about individual mandrels transversal to thevan, such as shown at 46a in FIG. 6, wherein there is also shown a tapebeing pulled in direction A from the spool to a guide roller 54 carriedby the device 24, the pull, and therefore the supplying of the tape,being simply ensured by the displacement of the apparatus in directionV, owing to the fact that the portion of same tape, already laid down onthe primer layer 10, is secured thereto and provides the necessarypulling action. When the laying down .of the tape has been discontinued,by simply engaging the tape (manually or mechanically) under theapplying roller 26 the required pull and laying down of the marking tapewill be restored.

FIG. 6 illustrates also how the essential components of the apparatuscan be preferably arranged in the various units. For providing the mostsimple, lightweight and transportable operative units, all and anysourceor supply of materials and media which can be transferred from one toanother unit are advantageously arranged on and trasported by theservice unit, that is the motorvan 20.

Thus, within said van 20, additionally to the spools of tape material,there are arranged the supplies of the materials to be made use of forproviding the primer layer and the meansfor heating same. Sucharrangements can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art andtherefore do not require any detailed description.

Thus, for example, the service van 20 has arranged therein one or morebottles or cylinders such as at 50 for fuel, such as liquified fuel gas,one or more preferably pressurized containers or tanks such as at 52 forthe composition or the compositions provided for primer layer formation,bottles or a compressor for applying pressurized air, storage batteriesor a motor-generator for supplying electrical energy and so on.

FIG. 6 illustrates also the basic components of the operative unitwhich, according to the example, comprises two separate devices 22 and24, individually connected to and pulled by the service unit by means ofarticulated joints 58 and respectively 60, positioned so that the device22 will form the primer layer exactly on the areas where the device 24will lay down the marking tape 14, irrespective of the direction(straight or curve) of travel of the trailing service unit.

Basically, the device 24 comprises at least a roller for laying down andpressing the tape on the primer layer. Preferably, it comprises tworollers 26 and 28 (as shown in FIG. 1 also) for laying down andrespectively for pressing. It may comprise a device 56 (individuallyknown in the art) for applying a highly viscous adhesive to the face oftape 14 just before its contact with the primer layer, if such tape isnot provided with an adhesive in solid and non-tacky state on its lowerface, such adhesive being of the type susceptible of activation underthe action of heat and/or of the chemicals comprised in the not yet setprimer layer. As shown in FIG. 1, the device 24 can be provided with theabove discussed means 32 and 36 and with a heat for accomodating thecrew which controls and provides for the necessary actions.

According to the preferred embodiment, the device 22 comprises a firstburner 62 providing a jet of flame F on the road surface S and a nozzleassembly 64 to direct metered amounts of the compound G onto the heatedsurface for forming the primer layer 10, said burner and assembly beingsupplied by the service units through suitable flexible ducts 66 andrespectively 68.

HO. 7 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the essential operativeelements of the device 22. The first burner 62 comprises a burner body70 co-axially located above a frusto-conical flame diffuser 72 whereinsecondary air is supplied to the flame. Such diffuser 72 has metal twinwalls forming an interspace 74 wherein pressurized air (supplied by theservice unit) is fed through a duct 76, in direction B. This air coolsthe diffuser and protects it against overheating and, upon having beenheated in said interspace 74, is then fed, through a duct extension 76a,into a chamber 78 arranged about the nozzle 80 from which the primerlayer compound is caused to issue. This chamber 78 has a downwardly openpassage co-axial to said nozzle so that the issued compound will beconfined within a hot gaseous medium which prevents anticipated heatdissipation from such compound to provide the desired excess heat in theformed primer layer 10.

The device comprises also a metering pump 82 for feeding metered amountsof the fluidified compound, supplied through duct 68, to the nozzle 80.Such pump is preferably actuated by a transmission 84 driven by a roadengaging wheel 86 (see FIG. 1 also), so that the out-put of the pumpwill be proportional to the displacement of the apparatus in directionV, that is to the length of the actually formed layer is given width Ls(see FIGS. 3 to 5).

The excess heat is imparted to the pumped compound by causing it to passwithin a heat-exchanger 88. This heat exchanger has an outer shellforming an interspace 90 wherein the compound passes and is heated by aflame issued by another burner 94 within an inner tubular shell 92; thesaid other burner 94 is fuelled through a side extension 66a of the duct66 from the service unit. A valve 98 in a by-pass 96 of pump 82 and avalve 100 in the duct 66 can discontinue the operation of the device,upon control applied by means of suitable control means,diagrammatically indicated at 102, 104 and 106.

It is evident that such valves 98 and 100 (such as remotelypneumatically or electrically actuated valves) will be so controlled byconventional control means (such as diagrammatically indicated) thatvalves 98 will open, to by-pass and feed back the out-put of pump 82,while valve 100 will close the fuel supply to burners and 94. Further,the discontinuing of the operation of device 22, concurrent withdiscontinuing of layingdown of the tape material, will usually occur forbrief times. Therefore, the valve 100 will not completely close the fuelsupply (a by-pass of small cross-sectional area, not shown, might beprovided for) so that a minimal amount of fuel will be maintained to theburners, for keeping them alive for subsequent full activation, and forcontinuously supplying heat to the amount of compound standing in theinterspace 90, ready for the same re-activation.

The prompt setting of the primer layer and the priming of the adhesionof the marking tape material on said layer depend from a suitableselection of the primer layer forming compound. For example, suchcompound can consist of a solution of polymeric resins and elastomers ina low boiling solvent, which will be promptly eliminated by the appliedheat, and/or by cross-linkage compounds the cross-linking of which canbe promoted or accelerated by heat. The crosslinking or anyway thesetting can be also provided by contacting two separate compounds justupstream of the nozzle or even on the surface S, one of such compoundscontaining for example a catalyzer and/or an accelerator for the othercompound.

The prompt adherence of the tape can be promoted by the contact of thesame tape with the just applied primer layer. Such layer can prime theadhesive in various manners. For example, the solvent of the layer,while being eliminated, can dissolve an adhesive component of the tapeat the interface. At the same interface, somewhat of a plastification ofthe tape can be promoted to provide the desired adhesion, and even achemical bond can be promoted by heat and/or promoters at the saidinterface as the contact between the tape material and the primer layeroccurs.

Several primer layer forming compounds which can promote an abruptmodification of state at the interface between such layer and theoverlaid tape material, when an active heat-exchange occurs at saidinterface, can be made use of. Two Examples of such compounds follow,one of such Examples relating to an one component primer, that is acomposition adapted to become active under heating only, while the otherExample describes a two component primer, wherein two compounds are tobe contacted just upstream of the nozzle or on the heated road surface.It is evident that for making use of a two-component primer the means52, 68 and 78 to 94 would be at least partially duplicated. in thefollowing Examples, the various components are given in parts by weight.

Example I: Bitumen 40/60 parts I60 Hydrocarbon resin (such as ESKOREZllOl". by ESSO) parts It) Nitrile rubber (such as CHEMIGUM N 600", byGOODYEAR) parts 5 Coumaroneindene resin parts l Low-boiling solvent(such as methylene chloride) parts 55 Example 2:

Compound A:

Epoxy resin (such as EPlKOTE 8l5" by SHELL) parts 60 Phenol parts 6Pit-coal tar parts l6 Baryte parts l8 Compound 8:

Polyamino-amidic resin (such as VERSAMlD I40" by GENERAL MILLS) parts 8Pit-coal tar parts l0 Hardcner (such as K 54" by ANCHOR) parts Styrenemonomer parts Cobalt naphthcnate parts 0.3 Bitumen Bil/I20 parts 6.7

I claim:

1. An arrangement for applying traffic-regulating indicia to roadsurfaces, comprising a vehicle adapted to be driven over a road surfaceand including a plurality of support means for supporting a plurality ofstrips of marker material to be applied over the road surface so as toform at least one traffic-regulating indicium, said vehicle furtherincluding guide means for guiding each of said strips for applicationthereof to the road surface, and said support means and said guide meanshaving a first relative position in which said guide means cooperateswith one of said support means for guiding one of said strips, and asecond relative position in which said guide means co-operates withanother of said support means for guiding another of said strips, saidsupport means and said guide means being relatively movable between saidfirst and second relative positions so as to guide first said one ofsaid strips from said first support means and thereafter said another ofsaid strips from said other support means; and an applicator unitoperatively associated with said guide means and being effective forapplying said strips subsequently to the road surface.

2. An arrangement as defined in claim 1, said indicium furthercomprising a layer of a primer substance intermediate the road surfaceand said strip material, and said applicator unit including means forheating said substance, and means for applying the heated substance overthe road surface; and wherein said vehicle comprises storage means foraccommodating said substance, and a source of energy for said heatingmeans.

3. An arrangement as defined in claim 1, said applicator unit comprisingmeans for heating the road surface prior to application of said indiciumthereover; and wherein said vehicle includes a source of energy for saidheating means.

4. An arrangement as defined in claim 1, wherein said guide means ismovably mounted.

5. An arrangement as defined in claim 1, said strip material being inform of a plurality of rolls; and wherein said supporting meanscomprises a shaft extending in a first direction and adapted torotatably support at least some of said rolls, said guide meansincluding a guide roller rotatably mounted about an axis extending in asecond direction transverse to said first direction.

6. An arrangement as defined in claim 1, said indicium comprising alayer of a primer substance intermediate the road surface and said stripmaterial, and said applicator unit including nozzle means for directingsaid substance over the road surface, pump means for conveying measuredquantities of said substance to said nozzle means, heat-exchange meansintermediate said pump means and said nozzle means for heating saidsubstance prior to application thereof over the road surface, and burnermeans adapted to direct a flame against the road surface for heating thesame prior to application of said substance thereover; and wherein saidvehicle comprises storage means for accommodating said substancecommunicating with said pump means, and a source of energy for saidheat-exchange means,

7. An arrangement as defined in claim 6, said applicator unit comprisingflame diffuser means for the flame generated by said burner means andincluding wall means defining an enclosed space adapted to be heated bythe flame, and a downwardly open chamber surrounding said nozzle meansand communicating with said enclosed space; and wherein said vehicleincludes a source of pressurized gas communicating with said enclosedspace, whereby to permit heating of said gas in said enclosed space andsubsequent flow of the heated gas into said chamber to thereby preventheat dissipation from the heated substance passing through said nozzlemeans.

8. An arrangement as defined in claim 1, wherein said applicator unitcomprises supply and guide means for applying a temporary protectivelayer over said indicium, and means for removing said temporary layerfrom said indicium.

9. An arrangement for applying traffic-regulating indicia to roadsurfaces, comprising a vehicle adapted to be driven over a road surfaceand including a plurality of support means for supporting a plurality ofstrips of marker material to be applied over the road surface so as toform at least one traffic-regulating indicium, said vehicle furtherincluding guide means for guiding each of said strips for applicationthereof to the road surface, and said support means and said guide meanshaving a first relative position in which said guide means cooperateswith one of said support means for guiding one of said strips, and asecond relative position in which said guide means co-operates withanother of said support means for guiding another of said strips, saidsupport means and said guide means being relatively movable between saidfirst and second relative positions so as to guide first said one ofsaid strips from said first support means and thereafter said another ofsaid strips from said other support means, and said vehicle alsocomprising storage means for accommodating a primer substance to beapplied over the road surface intermediate the latter and said stripmaterial, and at least one source of energy; a first applicator unithingedly connected to said vehicle and comprising first heating meansfor heating the road surface prior to application of said one indiciumthereover, second heating means for heating said primer substance, andmeans from said one indicium.

1. An arrangement for applying traffic-regulating indicia to roadsurfaces, comprising a vehicle adapted to be driven over a road surfaceand including a plurality of support means for supporting a plurality ofstrips of marker material to be applied over the road surface so as toform at least one trafficregulating indicium, said vehicle furtherincluding guide means for guiding each of said strips for applicationthereof to the road surface, and said support means and said guide meanshaving a first relative position in which said guide means co-operateswith one of said support means for guiding one of said strips, and asecond relative position in which said guide means cooperates withanother of said support means for guiding another of said strips, saidsupport means and said guide means being relatively movable between saidfirst and second relative positions so as to guide first said one ofsaid strips from said first support means and thereafter said another ofsaid strips from said other support means; and an applicator unitoperatively associated with said guide means and being effective forapplying said strips subsequently to the road surface.
 2. An arrangementas defined in claim 1, said indicium further comprising a layer of aprimer substance intermediate the road surface and said strip material,and said applicator unit including means for heating said substance, andmeans for applying the heated substance over the road surface; andwherein said vehicle comprises storage means for accommodating saidsubstance, and a source of energy for said heating means.
 3. Anarrangement as defined in claim 1, said applicator unit comprising meansfor heating the road surface prior to application of said indiciumthereover; and wherein said vehicle includes a source of energy for saidheating means.
 4. AN arrangement as defined in claim 1, wherein saidguide means is movably mounted.
 5. An arrangement as defined in claim 1,said strip material being in form of a plurality of rolls; and whereinsaid supporting means comprises a shaft extending in a first directionand adapted to rotatably support at least some of said rolls, said guidemeans including a guide roller rotatably mounted about an axis extendingin a second direction transverse to said first direction.
 6. Anarrangement as defined in claim 1, said indicium comprising a layer of aprimer substance intermediate the road surface and said strip material,and said applicator unit including nozzle means for directing saidsubstance over the road surface, pump means for conveying measuredquantities of said substance to said nozzle means, heat-exchange meansintermediate said pump means and said nozzle means for heating saidsubstance prior to application thereof over the road surface, and burnermeans adapted to direct a flame against the road surface for heating thesame prior to application of said substance thereover; and wherein saidvehicle comprises storage means for accommodating said substancecommunicating with said pump means, and a source of energy for saidheat-exchange means.
 7. An arrangement as defined in claim 6, saidapplicator unit comprising flame diffuser means for the flame generatedby said burner means and including wall means defining an enclosed spaceadapted to be heated by the flame, and a downwardly open chambersurrounding said nozzle means and communicating with said enclosedspace; and wherein said vehicle includes a source of pressurized gascommunicating with said enclosed space, whereby to permit heating ofsaid gas in said enclosed space and subsequent flow of the heated gasinto said chamber to thereby prevent heat dissipation from the heatedsubstance passing through said nozzle means.
 8. An arrangement asdefined in claim 1, wherein said applicator unit comprises supply andguide means for applying a temporary protective layer over saidindicium, and means for removing said temporary layer from saidindicium.
 9. An arrangement for applying traffic-regulating indicia toroad surfaces, comprising a vehicle adapted to be driven over a roadsurface and including a plurality of support means for supporting aplurality of strips of marker material to be applied over the roadsurface so as to form at least one traffic-regulating indicium, saidvehicle further including guide means for guiding each of said stripsfor application thereof to the road surface, and said support means andsaid guide means having a first relative position in which said guidemeans co-operates with one of said support means for guiding one of saidstrips, and a second relative position in which said guide meansco-operates with another of said support means for guiding another ofsaid strips, said support means and said guide means being relativelymovable between said first and second relative positions so as to guidefirst said one of said strips from said first support means andthereafter said another of said strips from said other support means,and said vehicle also comprising storage means for accommodating aprimer substance to be applied over the road surface intermediate thelatter and said strip material, and at least one source of energy; afirst applicator unit hingedly connected to said vehicle and comprisingfirst heating means for heating the road surface prior to application ofsaid one indicium thereover, second heating means for heating saidprimer substance, and means for applying the heated primer substanceover the road surface, said first and second heating means beingsupplied with energy from said vehicle; and a second applicator unithingedly connected to said vehicle separately from said first applicatorunit and being effective for applying said strips over the road surface,said second applicator unit comprising supply and guide means forapplying a temporary proTective layer over said one indicium, and meansfor removing said temporary layer from said one indicium.